Processing coal combustion products (CCP), ore, or other material using functionally electrolyzed water (FEW)

ABSTRACT

The object of this process is to remove heavy metals and other elements and compounds from the Coal Combustion Products (CCP), ore, or other material by processing and recovery of the individual elements and/or compounds in a marketable form leaving an inert residual meeting the ground water quality standards.

BACKGROUND OF THE PROCESS

[0001] 1. Field of the Process

[0002] This process is a method for processing CCP especially fly ash,ore, or other material that contain elements or compounds which needs tobe separated. More specifically the process incorporates FunctionallyElectrolyzed Water (FEW) as a replacement for the current methods ofextracting elements and compounds.

[0003] 2. Prior Art

[0004] Currently processing CCP, ore, or other material that containselements, or compounds which needs to be separated is a very dangerousand very expensive process. It may require the use of sulfuric,hydrochloric acid, or nitric acid to name but three of the dangerouschemicals that have a part in processing out the required elements orcompounds. These chemicals are not only dangerous to handle but alsocause severe environmental problems. These chemicals are expensive andalso require special handling which is also very expensive. Othermethods of processing that use high heat and pressure are alsodangerous, expensive, and cause environmental problems.

[0005] There are many Patents that explain the above processes involved,for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,332,909; 5,968,229; and 5,755,853. Theseall require a high initial investment for infrastructure and acontinuing outlay for fuel and/or chemicals. No process is currentlyenvironmentally friendly or affordable enough to be used on CCP. Toeliminate extensive CCP piles, something new is needed.

SUMMARY OF THE PROCESS

[0006] This process relates to a method for processing CCP, ore, orother material that have elements that need to be removed for economicand/or environmental reasons.

[0007] Stages: (Where FEW is used it will stand for FunctionallyElectrolyzed Water)

[0008] (Where ORP is used it will stand for Oxidation ReductionPotential)

[0009] A. Screen to minus 325 mesh using the appropriate screeningequipment. Grind oversize particles to minus 325 mesh.

[0010] B. Prepare the appropriate FEW so it will have the appropriate Phand ORP for the Process. FEW is made from water and electrolytes such asvarious salts (NaCl, NaBr,NaSO₄)

[0011] Example: Industrial water source—not potable.

[0012] Salt impure NaC1

[0013] Electro-Chemical Processing ACID BASE HCLO NaOH 1-7 Ph 7-11.5 Ph1,100 MV −800 MV Leach Acidic CCP Leach Basic CCP

[0014] It is the object of the process to remove all heavy metals andother elements and compounds from CCP ore, or other material byprocessing and recovery of the individual elements in a marketable formleaving an inert residual meeting the ground water quality standards. Itis another object of the process to use non toxic FEW to leach theelements and compounds from ores and other materials.

[0015] Briefly the process provides a method to extract elements andcompounds from coal combustion products (CCP), ore, or other materialand recovering them in a marketable form and leaving an inert residual.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING

[0016] The FIGURE depicts the several stages necessary to process CCP,ore, or other material. CCP, ORE, or OTHER MATERIAL

[0017] 1. Use a magnetic separator to remove the magnetic portion of theCCP, ore or other material.

[0018] 2. Classify to the correct size if necessary.

[0019] 3. Leach in one or more stages using the most effective FEW Phand Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP) strengths in each stage toextract the maximum amount of elements and compounds.

[0020] 4. Filter out the residual of the CCP, ore, or other material inever decreasing sizes.

[0021] 5. Recover extracted elements and compounds that are dissolved inthe FEW solution on to ion exchange resins selectively or in groups, bysolvent extraction methods and or other appropriate precipitatingmethods.

[0022] 6. Transport recovered elements and compounds to a refinery toupgrade to the highest marketable grade possible.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Stages of processing the Non Homogeneous CCP, Ore,or Other Material

[0023] 1. Crushing, if necessary, any of the above to 325 mesh.

[0024] 2. Remove the magnetic particles in the CCP, ore, or othermaterial (For the purpose of this description all CCP will be considerednon homogeneous.) using one of several types of magnetic separators:

[0025] A. Belt Magnetic Separator.

[0026] B. Drum Magnetic Separator.

[0027] C. Electro-magnetic Separator.

[0028] 3. Process in one or more stages using different strength FEW(adjusting the pH and/or ORP as necessary) depending on the make up ofthe CCP, ore, or other material.

[0029] 4. Filter out the residual using one or more type filters.

[0030] A. Belt Filter

[0031] B. Drum Filter

[0032] C. Leaf Filter

[0033] In three or more stages:

[0034] 1. Large Particles

[0035] 2. Medium Particles

[0036] 3. Fine Particles

[0037] This residual will be inert and will be disposed of as fill orother appropriate uses.

[0038] 5. Recover dissolved elements or compounds from the FEWsolution/s that were formed in step 3 using:

[0039] a. Ion Exchange Resins

[0040] (i) Individually or in

[0041] (ii) Groups

[0042] b. Solvent Extraction Chemicals

[0043] c. Precipitation

[0044] The following list of compounds and elements that can beprocessed by the FEW solutions: COMPOUNDS NAME SYMBOL Silica DioxideSiO₂ Aluminum Trioxide Al₂O₃ Ferric Oxide Fe₂O₃ Magnesium Oxide MgOCalcium Oxide CaO Sodium Oxide Na₂O Potassium Oxide K₂O Titanium DioxideTiO₂ Phosphorus Pentoxide P₂O₅ Manganese Oxide MnO Chrome Oxide Cr₂O₃

[0045] ELEMENTS NAME SYMBOL Barium Ba Nickel Ni Scandium Sc Cobalt CoCesium Cs Gallium Ga Hafnium Hf Niobium Nb Rubidium Rb Tin Sn StrontiumSr Tantalum Ta Thorium Th Uranium U Vanadium V Tungsten W Zirconium ZrYttrium Y Lanthanum La Cerium Ce Praseodymium Pr Neodymium Nd SamariumSm Europium Eu Gadolinium Gd Terbium Tb Dysprosium Dy Holmium Ho ErbiumEr Thulium Tm Ytterbium Yb Lutetium Lu Molybdenum Mo Copper Cu Lead PbZinc Zn Arsenic As Cadium Cd Antimony Sb Bismuth Bi Silver Ag Gold AuPlatinum Pt Palladium Pd Iridium Ir Rhodium Rh Ruthenium Ru Osmium OsMercury Hg Thallium Tl Germanium Ge Carbon C

[0046]

1. A method for processing a non-homogeneous CCP, ore, or other materialthat contains elements or compounds that need to be processed, thefollowing steps make up the process: a) crushing, if necessary, any ofthe above into particles no larger than 325 mesh; b) processing with theappropriate FEW solution which will be at a specified pH and ORPrequired to extract the targeted elements and/or compounds for the CCP,ore, or other material, the pH range of the FEW solution will vary asrequired from 1.0 to 11.5 and the ORP will range from a −800 mv to a+1100 mv, the elements and compounds will be recovered out of solutionsinto a form as required; c) recovery with, one of Ion Exchange Resins,Solvent extraction, and Precipitation; d) selective recovery using aspecific resin for each element or group of elements or compounds; ande) this residual will be inert and will be disposed of as fill or otherappropriate uses. The following lists some of the compounds and elementsthat can be processed by the FEW solutions on an individual basis.COMPOUNDS NAME SYMBOL Silica Dioxide SiO₂ Aluminum Trioxide Al₂O₃ FerricOxide Fe₂O₃ Magnesium Oxide MgO Calcium Oxide CaO Sodium Oxide Na₂OPotassium Oxide K₂O Titanium Dioxide TiO₂ Phosphorus Pentoxide P₂O₅Manganese Oxide MnO Chrome Oxide Cr₂O₃

ELEMENTS NAME SYMBOL Barium Ba Nickel Ni Scandium Sc Cobalt Co Cesium CsGallium Ga Hafnium Hf Niobium Nb Rubidium Rb Tin Sn Strontium SrTantalum Ta Thorium Th Uranium U Vanadium V Tungsten W Zirconium ZrYttrium Y Lanthanum La Cerium Ce Praseodymium Pr Neodymium Nd SamariumSm Europium Eu Gadolinium Gd Terbium Tb Dysprosium Dy Holmium Ho ErbiumEr Thulium Tm Ytterbium Yb Lutetium Lu Molybdenum Mo Copper Cu Lead PbZinc Zn Arsenic As Cadium Cd Antimony Sb Bismuth Bi Silver Ag Gold AuPlatinum Pt Palladium Pd Iridium Ir Rhodium Rh Ruthenium Ru Osmium OsMercury Hg Thallium Tl Germanium Ge Carbon C


2. A method for processing a non-homogeneous CCP, ore, or other materialthat contains individual elements or compounds that need to beextracted' comprising the steps of: a) crushing, if necessary, any ofthe above with the largest particles no larger than 325 mesh; b)processing with the appropriate FEW solution which will have a specifiedpH range as required to extract the targeted elements and/or compoundsfrom the CCP, ore or other material, the pH range of the FEW solutionswill vary as required from 1.0 to 11.5; c) recover with one of IonExchange Resins, Solvent extraction, and Precipitation; d) selectiverecovery using a specific resin for each element or group of elements;and e) this residual will be inert and will be disposed of as fill orother appropriate uses. The following lists some of the compounds andelements that can be processed by the FEW solutions on an individualbasis. COMPOUNDS NAME SYMBOL Silica Dioxide SiO₂ Aluminum Trioxide Al₂O₃Ferric Oxide Fe₂O₃ Magnesium Oxide MgO Calcium Oxide CaO Sodium OxideNa₂O Potassium Oxide K₂O Titanium Dioxide TiO₂ Phosphorus Pentoxide P₂O₅Manganese Oxide MnO Chrome Oxide Cr₂O₃

ELEMENTS NAME SYMBOL Barium Ba Nickel Ni Scandium Sc Cobalt Co Cesium CsGallium Ga Hafnium Hf Niobium Nb Rubidium Rb Tin Sn Strontium SrTantalum Ta Thorium Th Uranium U Vanadium V Tungsten W Zirconium ZrYttrium Y Lanthanum La Cerium Ce Praseodymium Pr Neodymium Nd SamariumSm Europium Eu Gadolinium Gd Terbium Tb Dysprosium Dy Holmium Ho ErbiumEr Thulium Tm Ytterbium Yb Lutetium Lu Molybdenum Mo Copper Cu Lead PbZinc Zn Arsenic As Cadium Cd Antimony Sb Bismuth Bi Silver Ag Gold AuPlatinum Pt Palladium Pd Iridium Ir Rhodium Rh Ruthenium Ru Osmium OsMercury Hg Thallium Tl Germanium Ge Carbon C


3. A method for processing a non-homogeneous coal combustion product(CCP), ore, or other material that contains elements or compounds thatneed to be separated, comprising the steps of: crushing, if necessary,the material to obtain particles no larger than 325 mesh; preparing anappropriate Functionally Electrolyzed Water (FEW) solution having anappropriate pH (potential of Hydrogen) and ORP (Oxidation ReductionPotential) for the process; recovering dissolved elements or compoundsfrom the FEW solution; and disposing of the inert residue as fill orother appropriate uses.
 4. The method of claim 3 wherein in the step ofpreparing an appropriate FEW, the appropriate pH is in the range of 1.0to 11.5.
 5. The method of claim 4 wherein in the step of preparing anappropriate FEW, the appropriate ORP is in the range of −800 mv to +100mv.
 6. The method of claim 3 wherein in the step of recovering dissolvedelements or compounds the recovery is accomplished by using one of IonExchange Resins, Solvent Extraction, and Precipitation processes.
 7. Themethod of claim 3 including the step of selectively recovering eachdesired element, group of elements, or compound by using a specificresin for each.
 8. The method of claim 3 including the step of upgradingthe separated elements or compounds into a marketable form.